The Extras by Kiran Nagarkar

Started the book with great expectations after reading the Cuckold by the same author. This book is very different from Cuckold and it is good not to carry forth any expectation if one has read Cuckold.

The book is about a person called Ravan (Ravan Pawar had been named Ram, but in a moment of indignation his mother renames him Ravan) and a person called Eddie (or Edward Coutinho). Both live one of the several chawls that sprawl Bombay. By quirk of fate Ravan as a child had jumped from the fourth floor and Edwards father who had been drooling at Ravan’s mother catches him safely. In the process Edward’s father passes away and the long history of a cold war between the two families begins.

Both grow up in the same locality but shun each other’s company. Ravan is love with Edward’s sister but is unable to bring himself up to speak to her given her convent education compared to his 10th fail status.

Both are them are laid back and are pushed by their mothers to start working. While Ravan starts off as a taxi driver, Eddie starts off as a waiter in one of the several joints that serve country liquor. Both the mothers are dreaming big for their sons.

One common streak that runs through both of them is that both have musical talent and both wish to become actors in the Bollywood. Fate pushes both of them to join the Extras Union of the Bollywood and both end up as extras in many films. They still continue to ignore one another before fate deems otherwise.

Read the book for more of the story. A decent book. Gives a good insight into the life of the extras in the Bollywood cinema.